Electric power steering mechanism



1946-1 'R. G. LE TOURNEAU 2,400,868

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 26, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l a0 r 10 I" is I"! l l v .lejburneaqz Guam May 28, 1946.

R. G. LE TOURNEAU ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 26, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1?. GLeTuz-neazi M y 23, 1946- 116. LE TQURNEAU 25%0368 ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MECHANISM s Sheets-$heet 3 Filed Dec. 26, 1944 nw lllamw\\\\w ,STTES PA i 'rlnc rowniigg g ME Robert G. Le Tourneau, Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le Tonrneau, Inc., Stockton, Calm, a

corporation of California Application December 26,1944, Serial No. 569,815 b 14 Claims. (01. 18049.1)

The present invention is directed to,'and it is 7 electric motor.

It is also an object to provide,'as unitary coupling and steering means between a tractor and a trailer, arigid draft unit projecting forwardly from the tractor, a pair of members connected for relative rotation about a generally vertical axis. one member being included in fixed connection in the draft unit and the other member being secured to the tractorfor relative lateral tilting movement but fixed lengthwise of said tractor, a

prime mover mounted on the draft unit, and drive mechanism between the prime mover and said other member operative to cause relative rotation therebetween in reverse directions, selectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power steering device, for a tractor and trailer combination, which includes an upstandin kingpin rotatably mounted in connection with the front end portionof a rigid draft unit projecting forwardly from the trailer, a base on the lower end of the king pin secured on the tractor at the rear for relative lateral tilting movement but fixed lengthwise of the tractor, and drive mechanism fixed in connection with the draft unit and operative to cause relative rotation of said king pin in reverse directions, selectively.

An'additional object of the invention is to provide a power steering device, of the type described,

7 which includes an upstanding king pin assembly mounted on the tractor adjacent the rear for relative lateral filting movement but rigid lengthwise.

-:- of the tractor, said king pin assemblyincluding .1 n upst structure rotatable relative to the tractorabout a generally vertical axis, the trailer havingarigiddraftunit projecting forwardly and fizemto-said structure, a prime mover such as a a reversible electricmotor mounted in connection with and supported-by said structure, and prime mover-actuatedd1ive mechanism incorporated in" the kingpinassembly and operative to cause rotation of said structure relative to the tractor, whereby to cause steering of the tractor while permitting of relative lateral tilting between said tractor and the trailer.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters ,of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor and trailer combination incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longltu-l dinal sectional elevation of the steering device.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral i indicates generally atwo-wheel tractor of the "Toumapull" type which includes a pair of transversely spaced ground engaging drive wheels 2 between which a transmission case 3 is disposed,

the rear portion of said transmission case havin 7 an upwardly facing exposed deck 4. The operator's seat 5 is disposed ahead of the deck 4 and in the present embodiment is enclosed within a cab 6. a.

The power. steering device, which is indicatedgenerally at I, is mounted on the 'upstands from the deck lysuch device providing a unita y coupling and steering means between the tractor I and a trailer 8 which includes transversely spaced ground engaging wheels 9; the trailer here being which it is designed.

shown as an earth carrying wagon, but which ob-' viously may be any type of trailing implement. The trailer 8 includes a forwardly projecting rigid drait'tongue or gooseneck it which is rigidly but detachably secured to the steering device .1 in the manner which will hereinafter appear in detail.

on and upstanding from the deck 4 in'spaced relation lengthwise of the tractor. is so mounted the king pin is capable of lateral tilting movement ineither direction from vertical, but is fixed against tiltingmovement lengthwise of the tractor.

A heavy-duty tubular sleeve i6 surrounds the king pin ll fromend to end thereof, said sleeve being supported against axialdisplacement but rotatably mounted on the king pin II by means of a bottom bearing unit I! and a top bearing unit I 8, the top bearing unit being associated with atrunnion I9 formed on the upper endof the to the trailer:

king pin. A protecting cap 26 is mounted on the upper end of the sleeve l5 and encloses the bearing it and trunnion t9; the trunnion 19 being hollow and the protecting cap 2!! including a neck 2! which extends from a top opening in said cap into the trunnion as shown, and for the p pos hereinafter described.

The tubular longitudinally extending base 52 is formed at the top and intermediate its ends with a flat attachment plate 22 which extends in fixed relation about the king pin ii adjacent its lower end. A relatively large-diameter exmrnal ring gear 23 is seated on and secured to the attachment plate 22 by means of cap screws 24; said gear surrounding the lower end portion of the king pin I l in fixed concentric relation. The gear 23 is enclosed by an annular protective housing 25 fixed in connection and movable with the sleeve 66; the housing 25 including an annular seal 26 which runs against the gear adjacent the bottom thereof. 7 7

To one side of the sleeve 56 the housing 25, at the top, is formed as a, heavy supporting platform 21, and said platform forms the bottom of an upstanding rearwardlyfacing motor housing 28 which includes a horizontal rearwardly facing back plate 29. The motor housing 28 is of heavyduty construction and is formed in unitary relation with/the sleeve [6 The forward end of the draft gooseneck l0 abuts in matching relation against back plate 29 and is detachably secured thereto by bolts 30. By means of this arrangement the draft gooseneck I0 is connected in rigid v relation with the upstanding sleeve H; which is turnable about the king pin I I; said housing 28, together with the sleeve l6 and king pin ll form ing what may be termed the king pin assembly of the device.

A prime mover in the form of a reversible electric motor 3| is mounted in the housing 28 and includes a reduction gear box 32 which'drives a downwardly projecting pinion 33 which is in mesh with the gear 23. .The electric conduit for the motor 3! is indicated at 34 and extends upwardly through the top of motor housing 28 and thence downwardly through a fitting 35 in the upper end of the neck 2i of protective cap 20. The conduit then passes through the hollow trunnion l9 and extends down through the king pin H into the tubular base I 2, from which the conduit turns out adjacent the shaft 14, whereby the king pin assembly may tilt laterally about said shaft as an axis without imparting undue motion to said con- From the base [2 the conduit leads fordllit. wardly into the tractor, which includes a tractor engine actuated generator and a manually controlled reversing switch (not shown).

The above described unitary coupling and steering device between the tractor l and draft gooseneck III of the trailer 8, functions as follows to effect steering movement When the electric motor 3| is driven in one direction or the other it causes a corresponding drive of the pinion 33. With rotation -of such pinion the gear is rotated to correspondingly rotate the king pin within the sleeve l6, which in turn imparts a rotative or steering motion to the tractor relative to the trailer. By reason of the fact that the above drive mechanism is incorporated in its entirety in the king pin assembly the tractor and trailer may independently tilt laterally relative to each other as said vehicles traverse uneven ground; such relative lateral tilting being possible by reason of embodi-' of the tractor relative ment in the device of the base i2 which extends lengthwise of the tractor but is mounted for rotation about an axis longitudinally of said tractor.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

A power steering device for a tractor and trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in normally rigid relation, said device comprising a pair of members mounted together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means rigidly connecting one member and the draft element together as a unit, means securing the other member to the tractor in a manner'to efiect steering of the tractor upon rotation of such other member, a prime mover mounted on said unit, and prime mover actuated drive means connected between said members operative to cause relative rotation therebetween.

2. A power steering device for a tractor and trailer'combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in normally rigidrelation, said device comprising a pair of members mounted together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means rigidly connecttrailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in-normally rigid relation, said device comprising a pair of members mounted together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means rigidly connecting one member and the draft element together as; a unit, means securing the other member to the tractor in a manner-to efiect steering of the tractor upon rotation of such other member, a prime mover mounted on said unit, and prime mover actuated drive means connected between said members operative to cause relative rotation therebetween; said drive means including a gear members mounted together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means rigidly connecting one member and the draft element together as a unit, means securing the other member to the tractor for lateral tilting and in a manner to effect steering of the tractor upon rotation of such other. member, a. prime mover mounted on tractor upon rotation pinion. I 10. A power steering device for a tractor and tractor upon rotation of such king pin, a'sleeve tumably mounted on the king pin, an electric motor, a housing in which the motor is mounted,

operating structure turnable about the king pin,

means rigidly connecting the draft element and said structure as a unit, a prime mover mounted on said unit, and prime moveractuated drive:

means between said structure and the king Pin operative to. cause relative rotation therebetween.

7. A power steerlng'device for a tractor and trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in normally rigid relation, "said device comprising an upstanding king pin, means mounting the king pin on I the tractor adjacent the rear thereof for lateral tilting and in a manner to effect steeringof the tractor upon rotation of such king pin, a cooperating structure turnable about the king pin. means rigidly connecting the draft element and said structure as a unit, a prime mover mounted on said unit, and prime mover actuated drive means between said structure and the king pin said housing being fixed on and supported by the sleeve, a gear fixed. concentrically in connection with the king pin beyond one end of the sleeve, a motor driven pinion journaled in connection with the adjacent end of the housing andin mesh with said gear; the forward end of'the draft element being rigidly attached to the sleeve and housing assembly. 7 11. A steering device as in claim 10 in which the housing is disposed alongside and normally to the rear of the sleeve; the draft element being attached to said housing. 7

12. A power steering device for a tractor and I trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in normally rigid relation, said device comprising an upstanding king pin, means mounting the king pin on the tractor adjacent the rear thereof for lateral tilting and in a manner to efiect steering of the tractor upon rotation of such king pin, a sleeve tumably mounted on the king pin, an electric motor, a housing in which the motor is mounted, said housing being fixed on and supported by the sleeve, a gear fixed concentrically in connection I with the king pin beyond one end of the sleeve,

operative to cause relative rotation therebetween:

said drive means comprising a gear fixed concen-,

trically in connection with the king-pin, and a structure and meshing with the gear. 8. A power steering device for a, tractor an drive pinion journaled in connection with said trailer combination wherein the trailer includes I a draft element projecting'forwardly in normally rigid relation, said device comprising an upstand ing king pin. means mounting the'king pin on the tractor adjacent the rear thereof forlaterai tilting and in a manner to enect steering of the tractor upon rotation of such king pin, a coa .motor, driven pinion journaled in connection with the adjacent end of the housing and in mesh with said gear; the housing being disposed alongside. and normally to the rear of the sleeve, the

draft element being rigidly attached to the hous- I ing, and another houslngsupported by the sleeve and surrounding said gear andpinion in protec tive relation.

' 13. A power steering device for a tractor V trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft elementprojecting forwardly in normally rigid relation, said device comprising an upstanding king pin, a'base fixed on the lower end of the operating structure turnable about the king D n.

means rigidly connecting the draft element and said structure as a wait, an electric motor mounted on said unit, a gear fixed concentrically in connection with the king-pin, and a motor driven pinion joumaled on said structure and meshing with the gear.

9. A power steering device for a tractor and trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in normally rigid relation, said device comprislng'an upstanding king pin, means mounting the king pin on the tractor, adjacent the rear thereof for'lateral tilting and in a manner toeflect steering of the of such king-pin, a cooperating structure turnable about the king p means rigidly connectingthe draft eiementand said structure as a unit,.'a gear fixed concen-' trically in connection with the use p n. a. drive pinion journaled in. said structure and meshing with the gear,

and a prime mover mounted on said structur operative reversibly said trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element an upstandins kingpin. means mounting the i s in on the tractor adjacent the rear-thereof for lateral tion about the longitudinal axis of said member" whereby the kingpin is laterally tiltable, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the kins D an electric pmiectins forward! "in normally .risid relation, said device com tilting and in a manner to'eflect steering of king pin, means mounting said base on the tractor t the rear in laterally tiltable but. longitudinally immovablerelation to the tractor, a structure relatively rotatably supported by the king pin, means rigidly connecting the draft ele-.

ment and said structure as a unit, and .power driven means connected between the structure and kin pin-operative to cause relative rotation therebetween; said power driven means being actuated by a Prime mover mounted in connection with and supported'by said relatively rotatable structure. Y 14. A power steering device; for a tractor and trailer combination wherein the trailer includes a draft element projecting forwardly in norlnelly rigid relation, saiddevice comprising a longitudinally extending base member disposed adjacent the rear of the tractor, a king pin rigid with and upstanding from the base member, means journaling the base member on the tractor for rotamotor, a housing ,in which the motor is mounted,

said nousingbeing rlgidlyattachedtcthesleeve, andseidhousingbelngrigidly secured-together a unit, agearfixedeoncentricallyinconnection withtheklngpinbelow the the draft element sleeve, and a eme ROBERTG.LETOURHIAU.

motor driven pinion iournaled in. connection with stld hdllfilnl andmeshing with V 

